Here at Totally Kids, we take pride in our employees, and those individuals who best represent the mission and values of Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.These individuals make Totally Kids a unique and truly special hospital.
Together we are Totally Kids!
Introducing….
Hi, my name is Kristian Million; and I am Totally Kids.
How long have you worked at Totally Kids?
I started working at Totally Kids in July 2014.
What is your title, and what do you do?
Well, I have had a few different positions working for Totally Kids. Since I specialize in infant and toddlers, I was hired as the lead teacher for the toddler classroom. I ran the “turtle” class for two years and helped implement new curriculum and assessments. I saw an opening for an early intervention coordinator in the subacute care area and applied.
I was excited to start working in such a unique setting. In fact, I fell in love with the special needs aspect of teaching and even switched my college education focus from early childhood to special education. In 2017, I received my master’s degree in special education. Once I received my degree, I was promoted from early intervention coordinator to child development coordinator, and as such, oversee the social recreational, early intervention, wellness and volunteer programs.
What do you love about your job and about working at Totally Kids?
It’s hard to pick just one thing that I love at Totally Kids! I have so many wonderfully things to say about it.
First, I would say that I love working with our residents. They are kids that I have the pleasure of working with each day; I feel like part of their family. Everyday I’m able to watch them grow and develop and reach milestones they never thought they could reach. I never give up on these kids because I see each day how capable they are of reaching the milestones they set their mind to.
The major factor for helping them reach those milestones is offering them a great support system, and we definitely do that at Totally Kids. I have learned so much from my co-workers. From overcoming feeding barriers to understanding complex medical treatments and diagnosis, the list goes on and on! Also, I love being able to work with the latest technology in our field; that always excites me. I was able to get hands-on experience with our EKSO Bionics Exoskeleton and watch our residents start the journey to recovery.
In many cases that means they are able to walk again. I have been given the opportunity to go to numerous conferences and implement new strategies with our residents. Totally Kids is never satisfied and is always looking for ways to improve. That’s a motto I can stand by!
Can you share with us a memory of something that happened with one of our kids, an event, or anything that happened that stands out in your mind as an amazing day at Totally Kids?
A special day I remember was when I saw one of our residents roll over in his bed. Now that may not sound like a big deal, but it was. In fact, it was a huge deal. His mother had shared with me that a doctor had told her it would be unlikely that he would have control of his trunk. In other words, that he would never be able to do what he did right in front of my eyes. This little boy proved them all wrong!
I was lying on the floor next to him while he was participating in Tummy Time, which wasn’t his favorite time. Our residents usually get very comfortable laying on their backs, so we have to encourage them to lay in the prone position (Tummy Time) to help them start to meet specific developmental milestones, such as lifting their heads (head control) or bear weight on their hands and knees, which leads to crawling and walking.
We were lying on the floor and I began to read him the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. When he heard me begin to read, he reached over to touch my arm. I was just out of his reach so he rolled over to get closer to me. Seeing the strength he had and how determined he was to reach me and overcome those obstacle will always be a memory I hold dear to my heart.